AUGUST 21st
A CERTAIN RICH MAN (Continued)
Scripture Reading: Luke 12:1-21
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Notice in verse 14 above that Jesus called the one interrupting, "Man." That address alone invokes higher thinking spiritually. The Word of God, Jesus Himself is in Expression. It is written that man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. This man’s focus was not on that which produces Life. Instead, he was interested in a carnal inheritance and voiced that preference in the midst of the Lord’s spiritual instruction. Jesus then went on to use the occasion to warn them all of true life saying, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
The simile begins in verse 16 with the fruitful ground of a certain rich man. The reader will come to see why he was called "The Rich Fool" or an unthinking one. Ground speaks to that which is earthy and passes away. Ground is else translated country, land, region. This man’s ground yielded plenty to the degree he pondered where to bestow or gather his fruits. Remember, parables contain secret things that only the Spirit of Truth can unveil to the open heart and hearing ear.
The rich man’s plenty created a dilemma for his carnal reasoning. Immediately, His carnality glares in that he thought within himself. The key here for the believer is that God is to be acknowledged in all our ways and He will direct our path. This man’s focus is on his soul. As the expression goes, he was "looking out for number one" referring to self. He devised a plan from his own reasoning. His actions are no different from anyone who has not put on the mind of Christ. It is clear this man in the parable has shut God completely out of his plans. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace (Romans 8:6). Remain mindful that Jesus was teaching on life before He began this parable.
Continued